LOL! I'm, of course, impressed with the Vanisher reference, sir.Originally Posted by Johnny Footstool
Nah. It's just that I'm about 25 issues away from the full run (1963-current) on the title and most that I need are the "reprint" issues (#67-#93). As of two years ago, I needed all four "grails" (#1, #2, #94, and Giant Size X-Men #1). I now have the latter three in my possession and anything resembling a mid-grade copy of #2 is VERY hard to come by, much less at below guide.
The copy I have was purchased for $160.00 and was accompanied by a VG to VG+ copy of X-Men #7. I'll be able to turn around and sell that #7 for about $40-$50.00, meaning that the actual investment in #2 is nearer to $120.00. To put that in perspective, a VG copy of #2 just sold for about $240.00 on eBay.
How'd that happen? Dumb seller. Bad title on the auction. Poorly chosen listing time (@12:30 AM on a Friday/Sat). Heh. Mine! MINE!!!
So I'm stoked. Now if someone wants to part with a nice copy of #1 for a little bit of nothin', I'll be even happier.
I've spent very little actual money on the high dollar books in that run. I purchases a Fine copy of GS #1 for $150.00, then came across a poorly listed eBay auction for another F/VF copy (which I got for $72.00). Then a third copy popped up at a weird time (late at night) in Fine- condition and I gobbled that up for $65.00.
Sold the F/VF copy for $250.00, then sold the Fine- copy for $150.00. The resulting profit means that I ended up investing about $35.00 in my collection copy. Then I came across a NM 2nd print of Batman #608 for cover price at the local comic shop. For some reason that's a RARE book so I sold it for $75.00 on eBay and turned that into my VG copy of Uncanny #94.
I think I need to write a book on how to do this stuff because I've turned eBay wheeling and dealing into a virtually free 51" HDTV, a whole slew of nearly free high-value comics, and the new laptop I'm typing on right now. Full run of Wolverine? Free. Full run of Ultimate Spider-Man? Free. Early run of Star Wars #1-20? Free. Free. Not completely "free" for course. My initial investment was about $75.00 after all.
Heck, even got a free NM (NM- at worst) copy of Giant Size Defenders #1 out of the deal (there ya' go, TRF). Free is good.